“Seeing a person’s reaction when you present them with their item means everything,” presenter Jay Blades tells us of how the team has been busy restoring faded treasures to make them merry and bright. “It gives us that Ready Brek glow, knowing that, yes, we did it.”
In the TV show’s Christmas special, they set to work like Santa’s elves on festive-themed items that include a mechanical Christmas cake, Victorian Father Christmas ornaments, a retro record player and a tropical steel drum.
“We’re never told in advance what’s coming on,” Jay tells hello!. “So when we see an item for the first time and hear the story behind it, it just hits you and the reaction is genuine. It takes you on such an emotional journey.”
There’s not a dry eye in the barn when mum Jo Thomas unveils a faulty record player – the last Christmas gift from her son Ben before he died at the age of 11 – in the hope that the experts can bring music back into her life again.
Repairing it was a labour of love for electronics expert Mark Stuckey and furniture restorer Will Kirk, who created oak legs for the device so that Jo, who suffers from arthritis, would no longer have to bend down to use it.
“Being a parent made this task all the more poignant for me,” says Will, who welcomed a baby girl with his wife Polly last year.
“Since becoming a dad, I’ve become an emotional guy. It made me think about my daughter and how precious she is.”
Denne historien er fra December 11, 2023-utgaven av HELLO! UK.
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Denne historien er fra December 11, 2023-utgaven av HELLO! UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
THROWING IT BACK TO THE 1990S 'VOGUE' ERA OF THE SUPERMODEL
KATE MOSS LEADS FAMOUS FACES REFLECTING ON FASHION HEYDAY
FORMER 'MADE IN CHELSEA' STAR FRAN NEWMAN-YOUNG
DAZZLES IN BESPOKE WEDDING GOWN AS SHE TIES THE KNOT IN STYLE IN MAJORCA
LENDING SUPPORT TO CHILDREN'S HOSPICE PRINCESSES BEATRICE AND EUGENIE
BRING LIGHT INTO LITTLE ONES' LIVES AS THEY PLANT A SYMBOL OF HOPE
ON BUOYANT FORM AFTER HIS WIFE'S GOOD NEWS THE PRINCE OF WALES
DISHES OUT THE HUGS ON VISIT FROM THE HEART
WITH AN INCREDIBLE GLIMPSE INTO FAMILY LIFE THE PRINCESS OF WALES
SHARES MESSAGE OF HOPE AS SHE LOOKS TO THE FUTURE AND BALANCING HER ROLE
IN HIGH SPIRITS AT THE BRAEMAR HIGHLAND GAMES THE KING AND QUEEN
ENJOY LAUGHS APLENTY AT A FAVOURITE EVENT BEFORE MONARCH QUIETLY MARKS TWO YEARS ON THE THRONE
AS HOLLY WILLOUGHBY RETURNS NATIONAL TELEVISION AWARDS
STARS DAZZLE ON NIGHT OF GLAMOUR AND GONGS
CREATING A NEW SISTER ACT ELIZABETH OLSEN
ON CO-STARRING WITH NATASHA LYONNE AND CARRIE COON
MAKING HISTORY AT STARSTUDDED EVENT IN NEW YORK TAYLOR SWIFT
SMASHES IT WITH SEVEN OF THE BEST AT THE V.M.As
KIM KARDASHIAN AND DAKOTA JOHNSONS
FASHION AND COMPASSION AT A-LIST CHARITY EVENT